There used to be a sidewalk along the south side of Gregory Drive.

Now there’s only chain link fence.

The recent construction along Gregory and Peabody drives has altered the landscape of the residence halls in that area and its residential life. It will continue to do so until at least 2010 when the first phase of construction for a new dining facility and resident hall wing will be completed, said University spokesperson Robin Kaler.

However, construction has made safety around the residence halls a growing concern.

The lack of sidewalk along the south side of Gregory Drive creates a safety hazard, said Sgt. Tony Brown of the University police department.

“The problem we’re having is a lot of students are walking in the street (because of construction),” he said.

The proper, and legal, place for pedestrians is the sidewalk on the north side of Gregory, but it is difficult to change resident’s walking habits, Brown said. Many students still walk along the Gregory bike path, where they should not be.

But, pedestrian safety will be easier to teach the new residents next year.

“Everyone’s just hoping to get through the rest of this year,” he said.

Gregory construction has also impacted the bus routes in the area, which included a reroute of the 26 Pack bus line, said Robb Patton, director of operations for the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus system.

The original Gregory stop was forced farther east, past Euclid Street, while an additional stop location for the 26 Pack was added on the east side of First Street, north of Stadium Drive, to facilitate residents inconvenienced by construction, he said.

This stop change on Gregory Drive has also created a dangerous situation for bikers, said Patrick Quirke, freshman in LAS and resident of Forbes hall.

“The biggest problem is when I’m going east on Gregory and a bus comes to the new stop,” he said. “I can either go right down Euclid and cut off all of the people trying to get on to the bus, or I can go left into traffic.”

Still, the biggest blow to current Gregory Drive residents may be how construction will affect summer move-out and those returning in the fall – the parking lots in front of Garner and Forbes Halls will not be accessible for summer move-out, said Kirsten Ruby, assistant director of housing for marketing.

“We are anticipating people lining up on First Street,” she said.

Without the Forbes and Garner lots available, Ruby also expects people to park in the E-38 Peabody lot.

“We’re working with our friends in construction to get some (traffic) flow along Euclid,” she said. “We’ll try to make (move-out) as easy as possible.”

However, move-in for fall 2008 may have additional challenges.

Because fall move-in is on a weekday residents will face reduced parking near Gregory Drive residence halls, construction, and extra traffic because of University employees.

Even so, Quirke, a returning Forbes Hall resident, said he thinks these campus improvements are worth the inconvenience.

“It will be great to come back after 20 years and see how much things have improved,” he said.